Larry Kudlow: The Bidens' 'Declaration of North America' and immigration policy should be thrown away

There's a war going on along the U.S. southern border with Mexico.  It's a war over American sovereign territory. It's a war that's undermining American laws. It's a war about drugs, especially fentanyl. It's a war about sex trafficking. It's a war with Mexican cartels.  It's also a war against the many peaceful towns and cities along the border. It's a war against working folks and the economy. But you wouldn't know there's a war going on based on Joe Biden's trip to El Paso, Texas, or his Mexico City meeting with Mexico's President Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau.  

In order to win a war, you have to fight. Biden won't fight. In fact, none of them want to fight.  

Take it from the President himself. Here he is in Mexico City yesterday:  

Joe Biden: "This has been the greatest migration in human history around the world as well as in this hemisphere. We’re trying to make it easier for people to get here – opening up the capacity to get here." 

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Really? Making it easier. Opening the capacity. Alright, well, the White House released what they're calling a "Declaration of North America" this is at the conclusion of the tenth North American Leaders' Summit.  

They've created six pillars, allegedly to maintain regional security.  Now, here's the order of these pillars.  First pillar: diversity, equity and inclusion. Second pillar: climate change and environment. Third pillar: competitiveness.  And then, maybe fourth pillar: migration and development.  But, wait a minute. Even at fourth place, migration and development doesn't mean what you might hope it means.  

They're talking about welcoming record numbers of migrants and refugees. They’re talking about promoting migrant and refugee integration. They’re talking about protection for them. More asylum capacity. Expanding and promoting regular pathways. Then collaborating to counter xenophobia and discrimination.  

What?! You think I'm making this up?  I'm not. I'm reading from this White House release. This is the official stuff.  

Quote: "Now more than ever we need to identify and address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement."  

Really? Irregular migration?  That’s got to be a typo, right? What they mean is "illegal" migration.  The root cause of illegal migration is a failure to secure our American border. That's the root cause.  

Now, by the way, none of this means that Americans should be against legal immigration. Or merit-based immigration. Or speaking English and knowing a little about American history immigration. Or people coming here who can add value to our businesses, our workplaces, and our economy.  We need much more of that! But that would take Congressional action – that never seems to get done. What's going on down at the border is strictly illegal. It is a war. But the Bidens won't fight the war.  

Of course, the numbers are well-known. In 2020, Donald Trump's last year in office, illegal border encounters were running less than 40,000 this time of year.  Next year, 2021, President Biden's numbers were running about 175,000. Last year, the Biden monthlies were running around 230,000.  In 2021, last year, there were 1.7 million encounters. The 2022 year just ended, 2.4 million.  We are likely headed for over 3 million, almost without question, this year in 2023.  

That's because Mr. Biden doesn't have a policy.  Oh, wait a minute, he does have a policy. It's an open border policy. It's an asylum and amnesty policy. There's no drug policy. There's no sex trafficking policy. There's no waging war against Mexican cartels policy.  He is more concerned about diversity, equity and inclusion. Or climate change.  Yup, that's a head-scratcher, but it’s true.  Hat tip to columnist Byron York, our pal, for saying Mr. Biden's trip to the U.S.-Mexican border has actually made things worse.  

Now, his minions cleaned up El Paso for 20 minutes. He did visit briefly with some border agents.  Then his D-H-S Secretary Mayorkas announced a new app called "CBP-One" for illegal border crossers, to make it easier.  The deal here is they'll use the app to make an appointment to enter the U.S. at some port of entry, so then border officials will let them in and then shepherd them someplace else around the U.S.  So, it's like making a reservation at a good restaurant. Presumably one with a gas-burner stove kitchen.  Once you're in legally through this new app, you're in legally.  I'm not making this up. I wish I were.  

Now, in just a moment we're going to talk to Senator Marsha Blackburn about all of this. She just got back yesterday from the border and had a completely different experience than Mr. Biden.  

But I want to repeat my own personal view.  Much of the great success of this great country of ours can be traced to the role of immigrants. Legal immigrants. Statue of Liberty-type Ellis Island immigrants who came here at enormous cost, but participated in our government's legal process and then literally went on to make America great.  

That’s wonderful! That’s what we should strive for and we can do that again. We ought to do that again.  But what's going on in the war at our southern border has nothing to do with the great tradition of American immigration.  Wars are lawless, destructive and inhumane.  

Now, this war could be won, for example. Let’s keep some sort of Title 42 in place for public health reasons, revert back to "Remain in Mexico," finish the wall, properly fund the various border control and policing resources necessary to guard America and protect it.

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But that is not what the Bidens are doing and they have no intention of doing it.  Theirs is catch and release. It should be catch and deport.  Theirs is more illegal border crossings. It should be vastly less.  Theirs is accommodation, but it should be stop the flow.  

This so-called "Declaration of North America" that puts diversity, equity and inclusion first, climate change second, ought to be ripped up and thrown into the nearest trash can, as fast as possible, along with Biden's policy. 

This article is adapted from Larry Kudlow's opening commentary on the January 11, 2023, edition of "Kudlow."